urs fischer is an artist who was born in zurich in 1973, and currently lives and works in new york. fischer’s large-scale installations and sculptures posit genres traditionally evoked in painting – portraits, landscapes, nudes, and still lifes – in a profusion of rich and often impermanent sculptural materials.

urs fischer at venice art biennale 2011

‘untitled’, 2011 by urs fischer is on show in the arsenale complex at this year’s venice art biennale under the title ‘illuminations’. his work involves three 1:1 sized wax candle sculptures. the figures will violently self-destruct during the months-long show, as the wax melts and limbs start to drop off.

the artworks of the installation are made of wax pigments, wicks and steel structure : dimensions variable (edition of 2 +1AP). the artist is represented by galerie eve presenhuber, zurich — the participation in the venice biennale has been made possible through the additional support of the city of zurich.

venice art biennale 2011

the 54th international art exhibition, with the title of ILLUminations (ILLUMInazioni), curated by swiss art historian bice curiger — the curator of the zurich kunsthaus and co-founder of the art magazine ‘parkett’ — opened on saturday june 4th and will be accessible to the public until november 27th, 2011.

Meh, I always want to like his work but there’s something really obvious it; I just don’t feel anything; giant candles that look like things? It’s not even materially interesting; it’s almost like “Koons-ian” kitsch without the kitsch; it’s missing something for me.

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